Paul Cornish joins as Professor of International Security

He joins Bath from Chatham House, the think-tank for international affairs. He started at Chatham House in 2005 as the first Carrington Professor of International Security, re-building the organisation’s standing in international security and defence analysis, and running his research programme.

Speaking about his appointment at Bath, he said: “From my first visit to Bath it struck me that this is a university that knows all about scholarly research but equally has an agility and willingness to engage with the policy world, and I found that very attractive.

“People here don’t see a contradiction between independent scholarship and contributing critically and constructively to policy-making in whatever field. It’s a university that has its feet on the ground.

"Returning to a university research environment will give me the chance to focus my research on fewer areas, rather than the 24 projects I was managing at Chatham House, and so take a longer and deeper view of things.

"International security and defence concerns are broad, complex and urgent, and research must acknowledge that. I’m looking forward to combining intellectual diversity with in-depth, robust analysis. I’m very excited about my role here. My mission is to achieve the right balance between blue-chip academic research and applied, policy relevant work, to really make a difference.

"I’m a member of the UK Chief of the Defence Staff’s Strategic Advisory Panel, providing expertise on national strategy and Britain’s role in the world and I contribute to Parliamentary and European policy reviews and inquiries.

"I’m working nationally and internationally on cyber security and will be bringing various projects to Bath. Other key interests include terrorism and counter-terrorism and the UK’s national strategy.

"My family life is currently based in Cambridge and I will be commuting to the campus on a weekly basis."

Professor Cornish took up his role at Chatham House from King’s College London, where he was Director of its Centre for Defence Studies. He was a lecturer at the University of Cambridge and at the Joint Services Command and Staff College. He was an Arms Control Analyst in the Foreign Office and before that a tank soldier in the British Army from 1983 to 1989.

Professor Cornish is one of 12 leading academics set to join the University as part of a strategic investment in research and teaching excellence across all faculties and disciplines.

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